Sugar in baby food: what parents really need to know

26 June 2026 · 5 min read

Sugar in baby food is more common than most parents expect. Pouches, breakfast porridges, and jars sound wholesome, but many products contain sweeteners under names that look innocent. Reading the ingredient list answers most of your questions.

What's really in baby food?

Fruit juice concentrate is commonly found in baby foods and pouches. It may sound more natural than sugar, but the sugars it contains still count as free sugars. Names to watch for: fruit juice concentrate (apple, grape, pear), grape must, fructose syrup, glucose syrup, rice syrup, date syrup.

How much sugar is too much for babies?

The WHO recommends limiting free sugars for children to less than 10% of daily energy intake, ideally under 5%. For babies and children under two, ESPGHAN goes further: free sugars should be kept as low as possible, and complementary foods shouldn't be sweetened at all. "Free sugars" covers all sugars added to a food, including concentrates, honey, and syrups. Honey is both a free sugar and one of the foods babies can't eat in the first year.

Hidden sugar, what to look for on the ingredient list

Beyond obvious "sugar", ingredient lists often include:

• Fruit juice concentrate (apple, grape, pear)
• Grape must or fructose extract
• Maltodextrin, glucose syrup, dextrose
• Rice syrup, date syrup

Ready-made or homemade, a fair comparison

Commercial products aren't all bad, there are sugar- and salt-free options, and they have a place for travel or busy days. Things to check when buying:

• No added sugars, including concentrates
• No salt
• Vegetables or grains as the first ingredient
• No fruit juice as a base for savoury pouches

Practical tips

• Read the ingredient list, not the packaging. Pictures of apples and sunshine say nothing about sugar content.
• Use pouches sparingly. Convenient for travel, not a daily substitute for a meal where your baby experiences textures.
• Plain yoghurt instead of sweetened fruit yoghurt. With fruit yoghurt, it's worth checking the ingredient list. Plain yoghurt with puréed fruit comes without added sugar.
• Whole fruit instead of juice. Natural sugars in whole fruit come with fibre, quite different from juice concentrate.

When to see your paediatrician

If your baby has digestive symptoms after certain products, or you're unsure what's appropriate for their age, speak to your paediatrician. For a practical guide to starting solids, see our article on starting solids.